BARRACUDA COOL HEAT IN SEESAW OVERTIME BATTLE

Dec 28, 2017

SAN JOSE, CALIF. - The San Jose Barracuda (14-11-0-2) twice erased deficits on Thursday before finally topping the Stockton Heat (16-8-2-2), 6-5, in overtime at SAP Center. The win extended San Jose's point streak to a season-high four games.

Andrew Mangiapane (12) waited just one minute and seven seconds to give Stockton the opening-period lead as he snapped a shot over Parker Gahagen's left shoulder after a failed clearing attempt by San Jose. Michael Brodzinski (2) evened the score at 11:20 as his right-point wrister deflected off of Oliver Kylington and past Jon Gillies. Jon Martin (3) gave the Barracuda their first lead at 16:04 as he snapped a rebound past Gillies, but Emile Poirier (3) tied the score 38 seconds later with a short-side snapshot from the slot on an odd-man rush.

In the second, Mangiapane (13) regained his teams lead with another glove side snap shot from the slot at 12:57 and then Mangiapane and Brett Findlay (6) would connect on a give-and-go at 16:01 to make it 4-2 Stockton. At 19:42, Danny O'Regan (7) cut the lead back down to one before the end of the frame by whipping a shot from the near dot.

In the third, San Jose took its lead back with two more goals. First, Julius Bergman (3) ringed a shot off the left post and in from the right point at 5:56 and then from the same location Nick DeSimone (2) beat Gillies short side with a seeing-eye wrister at 7:14. Hunter Shinkaruk (10) forced overtime at 15:53 after he snuck a shot through Gahagen's five-hole.

In the extra session, Rudolfs Balcers (7) intercepted a pass in the Heat zone, got around Mangiapane, and slid the puck under Gillies as he moved from right-to-left along the top of the crease at 2:39.

Gahagen (2-1-0) earned the win by making 24 saves on 29 shots, while Gillies suffered the loss (9-7-2) after allowing six goals on 32 shots.

The Barracuda hit the road for four straight starting this Saturday (Dec. 30) and Sunday (Dec. 31) in Manitoba before hosting the San Antonio Rampage on Jan. 9 at SAP Center. For tickets visit SJBarracuda.com/tickets.